


Loyalties Lie

by Cate_9xBlue



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Andrew sucks, Blood, But a lot worse, But he doesn’t realize it, Dark(?) Varian, Due to recent events I must warn Varian can also be kind of awful, F/M, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, I don’t even know what else to tag I might add more later, Kidnapped Varian, Mental Breakdown, Poking fun at a mourning man, Psychological Torture, Quirin misses his boy, Threats of Violence, Varian Needs a Hug (Disney), Varian is sassy boi, just a little, post-season 3, time skip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:27:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25635778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cate_9xBlue/pseuds/Cate_9xBlue
Summary: When the princess of Corona was taken, the kingdom mourned together. But when the princess’s young friend disappeared, they couldn’t find it in them to care much. After all, he wasn’t royalty. Why spare even a single soldier to search when it had already been so long? Especially when an old threat to the crown re-emerged, taking up everyone’s worry.
Relationships: Angry | Keira & Rapunzel & Red | Catalina (Disney), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Rapunzel, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Lance Strongbow & Varian, Quirin & Varian (Disney), Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 47
Kudos: 145





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

  
  
Quirin still had nightmares about it. That morning so long ago when he’d gone into his son’s room, only to find it empty. Of course, at the time, he’d thought nothing of it. Varian was notorious for staying up all night in his lab, and often fell asleep there instead. How was he supposed to know the room would never see its occupant again?

He’d gone down to the lab, breakfast in hand for the no doubt starving young alchemist. But, when he opened the door, his son wasn’t there either. It looked like he _had_ been there, if the flasks and beakers still sitting out were anything to go off. In fact, the closer he got, the more he could tell that it looked like he never left. Something was bubbling dangerously over the burner, and there was shattered glass on the floor. What made him realize something was wrong was when he saw the blood on the floor. 

_“Varian!”_ He’d called in vain, breakfast falling to the floor with a clatter. In a panic, he practically tore apart the lab, looking for some sort of clue. That clue came with the unconscious raccoon he found, trapped underneath the broken pieces of a stool. It confirmed his worst suspicions. Because, even if this was somehow just the result of Varian leaving on his own, he never would have left without Ruddiger. Varian had been taken, and there was no note left behind. No ransom letter showed up at the princess’s door, and no one came to gloat. Even once Ruddiger finally woke up, he did nothing more than go into a frenzy, desperately wanting his friend and not knowing where he’d gone. 

A year later, and Quirin was still living in their house, by himself. He had Ruddiger, but he didn’t have the same ability to communicate with him that his son had, so the raccoon usually just sat around in the lab. The loss was evident in every second of every day. The once loud, potentially explosive activity of the house was now gone, and there was nothing to replace it. The princess visited frequently, informing him of the status of the search, but even her visits became less and less frequent. He knew she was facing a lot of controversy over her insistence to send guards out to look for Varian. Despite everything his son had done to help the kingdom, some people still felt that his disappearance was a blessing in disguise. Many felt that it had simply been too long, and the boy was as good as dead. Why continue wasting resources when there had never been any evidence to begin with?

Today marked the anniversary of the day he was taken. The princess had summoned Quirin to the castle for the evening, so he was currently on the road, raccoon trotting along behind him. He knew she was most likely trying to find a way to distract him from the inevitable pain the day would bring, and while he appreciated the gesture, he felt it was a waste of both their time. He still had a village to run, son or no son, and she was the _princess._ She and her friends were of great importance to the kingdom, and taking even a day off certainly had to throw everything out of balance. 

The capital was just as busy and bustling as he remembered, despite it being so late. Ruddiger had to stay close in order to avoid being trampled, and didn’t look all too pleased to be back. The raccoon had grown thinner in the past year, and wasn’t nearly as quick on his feet as he used to be. It appeared that, without his closest friend, he didn’t have the mischievous spark needed to swipe every scrap of food he could get his paws on. 

“Quirin! How are you?” One of the shopkeepers greeted him with a smile. Quirin returned it with a wave, walking closer. 

“Well enough,” he responded. “Old Corona is thriving.”

“That’s good to hear.” She added with a slight frown: “I understand today isn’t the easiest for you.”

“Yes, it is… hard.” Ruddiger watched silently, looking up at the woman with large, sad eyes. She leaned down and patted him on the head. She’d seen him plenty of times on the shoulder of his boy, back when they used to come into the market to run errands. She offered him a small bit of scone, remembering how much he liked it, and smiled when he accepted it eagerly. 

“Hang in there,” she comforted. “You know as well as I that the princess never gives up. She’s rather stubborn.”

“That is true.” He peered up at the castle, shielding his eyes from the sun. “She’s summoned me, actually.”

“Oh, well, in that case. Go along. Don’t want to make you late.” He nodded, and with one last wave, continued on his way. Upon arriving at the gates, he was met by a guard. The man blocked his entry. 

“I’m sorry, but I was summoned-“

“Quirin!” Both he and the guard looked in the direction of the voice. Princess Rapunzel was running down the front stairs, approaching with a bright grin. She came to a halt in front of them, looking up at the taller man as though she hadn’t entirely expected he’d take her up on her offer. “It’s so good to see you!” The guard backed off, and Quirin followed the princess back up the stairs. “I’m glad you could make it, because we have _quite_ a few things planned…”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” he interrupted. “But what exactly is going on? Has there been a development in the search?” The princess’s steps faltered for a moment as she looked over her shoulder, smile dropping. Then she continued on into the castle, guiding him along. 

“No, I’m afraid not,” she admitted. “But I had this idea. Well, it was more my parents’ idea first, I guess, but I’m the one who came up with this, so we just need your blessing before we can-“ She shook her head, coming to a halt outside the throne room. “I’m getting ahead of myself. Just trust me.” The man sighed, shoulders sagging. Was his son’s generation always this… intense? Thinking back, he realized they were. Varian had always had a bit of difficulty stopping his words once they got started. The thought made his heart ache. 

“Very well,” he sighed. She gave him a small, encouraging smile, then pushed the doors open. Inside stood people he recognized as Varian’s friends. Lance and his two daughters, the princess’s husband, and even some of the townspeople he was familiar with, like Xavier. Adira stood out of the way, and came up to him upon his entry. 

“Hey,” she greeted, smile forced. She patted a hand to his shoulder, and he knew it was sincere. She _hated_ touching people. He accepted the notion with a nod, following the woman as the princess gathered everyone together. 

“Okay, so.” She clapped her hands together, swinging back and forth on her bare feet. “It’s been a very hard year for all of us. There are guards out as we speak, sweeping the kingdom. But if Varian were to come home today, what would he find? Friends that are miserable and the kingdom bland as always? No.” She shook her head. “No, Varian would want us to be happy, for him. And that’s exactly what we’re gonna do.”

“How is that?” Lance asked, eyebrow raised and arms crossed. 

“I’m glad you asked.” She looked to one of the servants in the corner of the room, who walked out. “You all know about how, when I was taken, my parents set off the lanterns to lead the way home.” At the solemn nods across the room, she continued. “Well, I’ve been having some of our best engineers fix one of Varian’s inventions, and we are going to put it to good use.” She waved a hand for them to follow, and she led them out of the room and up a staircase. The door at the end gave way to the roof, where the servant from before was standing beside a familiar machine. 

“The rooster?” Angry frowned, confused. But Rapunzel just approached the machine, hesitating for a moment as though she wasn’t quite sure how it worked, then held up a small vial of glowing green liquid. 

“He originally invented it to be a warning system,” she explained. “In case we needed to let the entire kingdom know about a threat at once. Obviously we’ve never really had to use it, but I figured if it could be seen on the outskirts of the kingdom, we could use it as a beacon to guide him home.” She looked to Quirin, who was struck silent with emotion. That was… an incredibly touching gesture. “Would you like to set it off?”

“I-“ Quirin was a man who typically didn’t show much of his feelings on his face. Unlike his overly expressive and dramatic son, he was more of an _inner feelings_ person. It made sense, given his history as a knight and his role as leader of his village. But if in this moment, tears glistened in his eyes, no one said a word. He just walked up to the princess’s side and accepted the Flynnoleum, gazing up at the contraption of his son’s invention. With a shaky huff, he dropped the contents of the vial into the machine, and it whirred to life. It didn’t explode, much to his mild surprise (but of course, Varian’s inventions usually only exploded when _he_ was around to be his clumsy, well meaning self). Fireworks burst high into the sky, painting the blue night in shades of neon green. The onlookers watched silently, a million unspoken words spread among them. 

Miles away, a boy watched the fireworks through a window.   
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years after Varian’s disappearance, things take an unexpected bad turn for Corona

* * *

  
It was the fourth anniversary of Varian’s disappearance when Rapunzel found herself standing on her balcony, face in her hands. It was also six months since her parents passed the crown down to her, in favor of settling into a retirement in a neighboring kingdom. The stress of running the kingdom had begun to have negative effects on the king’s health, and with their daughter at the perfect age to seize the reins, things had just fallen into place. But Rapunzel’s reign had been overshadowed with nothing but doubt. Not from the people, of course. The people believed her more than capable. The doubt lay deep within herself. 

If she couldn’t find one of her closest friends after so long, how could she guarantee the safety of her subjects?

“Sunshine?” The Captain of the Royal Guard waited inside for the young Queen, hand extended. Today was when her doubt was highest. In the beginning she’d been the one who tried to keep spirits high, but now? After never finding even the slightest clue? The anniversary of Varian’s kidnapping brought her nothing but despair. 

“Hey,” she mumbled, turning her gaze back out over the kingdom. Somewhere out there, her friend was waiting. Waiting for her to get her act together and  _ find him.  _

“The others are waiting, y’know.” She bit her lip, frowning. The tiara on her head felt much heavier than it was. 

“They don’t need me,” she lied, not looking at him. “They can start without me.”

“How could we start without you?” She felt his arms wrap around her from behind, but she didn’t lean into his touch. She didn’t deserve the comfort. Not when… “Honey, I miss him too. But this is the least we can do to keep his memory going.”

“He’s out there, Eugene,” she insisted. “I can feel it. He’s  _ just  _ out of reach.”

“I know.” She let out a shuddering breath. “Hey, listen. I know this day is hard for you. It’s hard for all of us. But while I don’t want to assume how you’re feeling, you have to remember that your parents went through something like this. Yet every year, on the anniversary of your capture, they still managed to get up and let loose the lanterns.” He squeezed her closer. “And just think, that’s exactly what brought you back. Imagine if that was what the fireworks did for Varian. What if this is how you lead him back home?”

“I should be out there.” Her hands trembled on the railing of the balcony. “I should be the one leading the search.”

“You’re needed here,” he corrected, shaking his head. “This is how you help him. Every little thing is important.” Her grip on the railing tightened. She wasn’t going to cry. That wound had healed over with time. She couldn’t cry over someone she hadn’t seen in so long. That didn’t mean she couldn’t crumple into Eugene’s hold, arms wrapping around herself. 

“I just miss him so much,” she admitted, voice soft and shaky. “It’s been so long. What if- what if he’s gone? What if, all this time, we should have been sending a search party out for a body and not a boy?”

“It doesn’t matter. Okay? Hey, look at me.” She turned her large, glassy orbs toward him, and he resisted the urge to wipe her unshed tears. “There’s no evidence that he’s dead, so that’s evidence he isn’t. Don’t argue with me on that,” he added when she opened her mouth to do just that. “Keep up hope. Can you do that for me?” He gave her the few seconds she needed to sniffle, then nod. He pulled her into a firm hug, supporting her as her walls came down for just a moment. Then the moment was over, and her shoulders were squared confidently. She’d certainly gotten good at keeping face in her short time as monarch. 

“Come on, let’s go.” Arm in arm, the couple made their way out to the courtyard, where they’d moved the machine so it had easier access. After all, it wasn’t easy to fit so many people on the roof. 

Everyone was already gathered below by the time they arrived. More people had begun to attend since they’d started the tradition, and it now drew quite the crowd. Not nearly as many people as those who still came for the lantern celebrations, but it warmed her heart nonetheless. The more familiar faces were closer to the front, waiting patiently for them to start. Rapunzel herself was the one who was setting off the machine this year, as Quirin had recently fallen ill and was bed ridden. The man had given her his blessing, and had promised he’d be watching through his window. 

“Thank you all for coming,” she said, projecting her voice. One of the handmaidens handed her the vial, eyeing it warily. She accepted it gracefully, willing her hands not to shake. She looked out at the faces again, and her heart tugged when she saw Lance and the girls. In another time, Varian would have been at their side. She closed her eyes, then opened them with a forced grin. “To an old friend. May this light his way home.” She dipped it over the fuel tank, then took a step back. The green burst of fire lit up the purple sunset, casting a ghostly light over the faces of the spectators. People cheered, while others mumbled quiet prayers for a safe return. 

Rapunzel drew her eyes away from the fireworks and once again gazed out at the crowd. As though, if she wished hard enough, his freckled face would appear amongst them, grinning widely and shouting her name. As it was, there was no sign of the young alchemist. How could there have been? She wasn’t so naive to believe in wishing anymore. There was, however, a glimpse of incredibly dark, black hair toward the back. Dark as night, a shade she’d only seen on a handful of people. Her heart clenched, and in a daze, she found herself approaching the person. No one reacted, save her husband, who followed after her in a confused stupor. Time seemed to slow as the voices blurred in her ears, and she grew closer, and then she was near the archway, and the person was standing there, and it was-

It was not Varian. But it was someone she knew. Time sped back to normal, and she approached the man in a rush. Because he was bleeding out of a wound in his stomach, and was curling in on himself as he too approached her. She met his acid green eyes, racking her brain for his name. 

“Hector?” The former knight grimaced, holding an arm around his torso. Eugene arrived at her side, shock painting his features. Hector spat some blood on the cobblestone, then looked up at her. 

“Your Majesty,” he greeted, bowing the best he could. 

“None of that!” She insisted, heart pounding. “You’re hurt. We need to get you help.” He shook his head. 

“No, I’m fine.” He crumpled forward the slightest bit, but maintained eye contact. “I’ve come to warn you. They’re coming.”

“What?” Eugene butted in, taking the man by the shoulders and trying to help him stand straighter. “Who’s coming?”

“Soldiers,” he rasped. “Hundreds. They’re headed off by an old friend of yours.” He made a gesture with his hands. “Man bun, necklace.” Eugene’s face darkened. 

“Andrew?” He would have laughed, if not for the man’s poor condition. “What kingdom would give him the lead over an entire army?”

“Not sure. But they’re on their way. I intercepted them by the Great Tree.” His gaze fell back on Rapunzel. “Rapunzel, they want a war.” She tensed, previously outstretched arms flinching back. 

“Sunshine?”

“Prepare the troops.” Eugene left, running to disperse the crowd, some of whom had noticed Hector’s presence and were entering a panic. As people began to run to their homes, he grabbed onto her arms, stopping her from leaving. 

“Wait. They- they weren’t alone.” 

“What does that mean?” Hector grimaced.

“He was with them. Rapunzel, they had-” Just as the words were about to leave his mouth, his bright green eyes rolled into the back of his head. The queen caught him before he could hit the ground. She shook him gently.

“Hector?!” He was heavy in her arms. “Hector, who did they have?!” When his eyes didn’t open again, she looked up. “Somebody help! I need a physician! Please!”

* * *

Rapunzel paced back and forth. Only the day before, her only worry had been whether or not she’d break down at her friend’s memorial celebration. Now, not only did a man lay on his deathbed in her infirmary, but an army was advancing toward them every second, bent on war. She couldn’t help but see the irony. Of course, not even a year into her time as queen, and the kingdom was already on a path to destruction. She should have known she couldn’t handle it. 

The people already knew of the impending danger (because if Corona was anything, it was a massive gossip circle) and the streets were practically empty. Everyone had barricaded themselves inside. Additional guards were placed at every corner of the capital, and some were sent out to neighboring towns. Old Corona itself had a particularly large defense, at the queen’s request, because not only did she owe it to her old friend to keep his home safe in his absence, it was a border town. The closest to the border, in fact. So the second someone spotted the approaching armies from there, they’d know about it.

That moment came all too soon. Just as Rapunzel was about to retire from her pacing in order to attend dinner with her husband, who’d been away with the soldiers since Hector’s arrival, a guard burst into the room. All it took was eye contact for her to know exactly what was happening. The invaders were at the border.

The chaos that ensued was what she could only liken to the preparation for Cassandra’s attack, times twenty. Because even when her friend had had the power of the Moonstone on her side, she hadn’t posed the same threat as an entire _ army.  _ What she would do to have the warrior by her side right now. Even amongst hundreds of people, preparing for battle, she had never felt more alone. Her parents were in another kingdom, blissfully unaware of the danger that was coming to Corona. Cass was off exploring the seven kingdoms and beyond, living her dreams. Even Eugene was nowhere to be seen, no doubt trying to squeeze in training for the men and women who had volunteered to join the Guard in light of the new threat. 

“Your Majesty,” someone said, pulling her away from her thoughts. Nigel. Good old, reliable Nigel. One of the only constant things in her six years of living in the castle.

“Oh! Nigel! Sorry, I was just… distracted.” He looked like he pitied her, and she didn’t know if she liked it.

“I apologize, Queen Rapunzel, for the interruption. But the Captain requests your assistance in the Courtyard.”

“Now?” He nodded. She hesitated. What could her husband need now, on the cusp of war? “Very well.” Nigel left, no doubt to help maintain the castle despite the extenuating circumstances. Rapunzel herself rushed in a not so graceful fashion toward the courtyard. Upon her arrival, she found Eugene waiting. He looked her over, a sad smile tugging at his lips.

“I know you must be stressed if you’re wearing shoes, darling.” She looked down. Lo and behold, she was, indeed, wearing shoes. And stockings. 

“We are on the brink of a  _ war, _ ” she reminded him. “How could I not be stressed?” He extended his arms just in time for her to fall into a much needed hug. He held her close, petting the back of her soft brown hair. It was nearly to the small of her back when it was down, but it was currently in a regal updo. She really did look like a queen, dressed up like this. He wasn’t sure if he was proud or unnerved.

“Well, since you’re going to be stuck here once things get ugly, I just wanted to make sure you’re well taken care of.” A few feet away, she finally caught sight of something moving. Lance and the girls. He was dressed in a soldier’s uniform, and had no doubt been helping Eugene prepare for the fight. But the girls, Catalina standing ever taller than her sister, were dressed as normal. Of course, they were only 15. Much too young to fight. But something in her had still worried for a second they might try. “They’re going to stay here with you, and help you if you need anything while I’m gone.”

“Don’t worry Rapunzel,” Catalina said, taking her hand with both her own. “Everything’ll be fine. They’ve got this.” Rapunzel couldn’t help but smile. Even at such a young age, both girls were wise beyond their years. Angry’s hair was cropped in a fashion similar to Cass’s, all those years ago, while Catalina kept hers at least to her waist at all times. It was currently up in a ponytail, away from where it usually hung over the tiny blue paw print on her cheek.

“We’ll be back safe and sound before you know it,” Eugene assured her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Before, he could turn away, she leapt at him, pulling him back down into a tight hug. This time, she didn’t stop herself from crying. The tears flowed freely as she pressed their lips together, thoroughly regretting appointing him captain of the guard all those years ago. If he was just her husband, just Eugene Fitzherbert, he’d be at her side through all this. He wouldn’t be riding out to the front lines, putting his life at risk. She sobbed, and the illusion she’d been maintaining of a confident leader crumbled like dust. Lance and the girls said nothing, giving them their moment alone. Then, all too soon, Rapunzel and the girls were standing at the top of the stairs, waving the soldiers off as they rode off to the edges of the city, setting up a perimeter.

“Rapunzel?” Angry offered her a hand, and an encouraging smile. “Why don’t we head inside?” She accepted it tiredly, and followed the two girls back into the castle. With some coaxing, they managed to accomplish the secret assignment Eugene had given them: getting the Queen to rest.

While the three settled down in Rapunzel’s room, the soldiers made their way to the edge of the capital. Eugene held his hand up to stop them, and peered across the bridge. And there they were. The enemy soldiers waited in the shadows of the trees, but familiar faces were at the opposite side of the bridge, standing smugly in the dying sunlight. The captain himself looked back at his men, silently telling them to stay put, then rode Maximus a little farther across the bridge. 

“What is your business with Corona?” His voice echoed in the strange silence that had fallen over them. The Saporians chuckled amongst themselves, then their leader stepped forward onto the bridge. 

“Equis,” he began, motioning to the hundreds of soldiers behind him. “Would like Corona off the map. They’re more than happy to replace it with Saporia.” He raised a fist, and hundreds followed. Eugene resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course, Trevor. Did that man have a decent bone in his body?

“Well considering the fact that we have your only entryway blocked, I’d say a full advance in broad daylight wasn’t your best move,” he said, giving the man a look. Even if it was childish, he couldn’t help the gloating tone that slipped into his voice. Once upon a time, he’d considered this guy a rival of sorts. Now he was far above his level. The gloating air dissipated slightly when he realized Andrew was grinning. 

“Nah, we’re just here to keep you busy,” he admitted, waving his hand dismissively. He unsheathed his sword, holding it at his side. “We’ve already gotten a man inside.” Eugene blinked, then stared at him. 

“What?”

“This is a distraction, idiot.” And then, before he could turn to send one of his men back to the castle, Andrew stepped back into his group of companions, shouting. The army surged forward across the bridge, and a fight broke out. 

* * *

Catalina was the one that heard it first. Rapunzel was in a restless sleep on her bed, and Angry was watching as the fight broke out through the window. Her sister wanted nothing more than to be out there, fighting alongside their father and Eugene, but the elder knew better. They were needed here, at the queen’s side. Especially now that she could hear the footsteps in the hallway. 

Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be suspicious, but Catalina had memorized the patterns of the footsteps of different servants. This was none of them. These footsteps were deliberately soft, and slow. No one in the castle would be moving so slowly in the current chaos. 

“Kiera?” The shorter girl looked up from her spot by the window. Catalina nudged her head in the direction of the door. Her sister read her thoughts, and sat on the side of Rapunzel’s bed, her hand resting on the hilt of the dagger Lance had insisted she kept on her person. The ginger gripped her own weapon and waited by the door, listening as the sound grew closer. The door creaked open, and then in an instant, she had the dagger to the intruder’s throat. 

The stranger was nearly a foot taller than her, and had a sword in his grasp. A mask covered the bottom half of his face, and ancient goggles obscured her view of his eyes. However, despite her inability to see his face, she could sense his anger when his head jerked in her direction. 

“What are you doing here?” She demanded. The stranger didn’t respond, and simply grabbed her weapon arm, twisting it away. She gasped in pain, the pinch in her skin startling her more than anything. Angry practically leapt from her spot on the bed, charging without a thought at him with her weapon at the ready. In another circumstance it would be amusing to see a sword up against a little knife, but this was life or death. 

The blades clashed together, and Angry glared up at his obscured face. She could usually respect an opponent, but not when they hid their face, and certainly not when they seemed to be there to assassinate her friend. She was satisfied when the man let out a grunt, seeing that she was at the very least making him work harder than he expected. They broke apart just as Catalina came back to her side, and they both held the knives up to his face. He held his hands up, dropping the sword. 

“I’ve got to admit, you fight pretty well,” he said, shrugging. It irked Angry how casual he was about this. Catalina swore something about the voice sounded vaguely familiar. “For a couple of little girls.” With one swift motion, he pulled his own dagger from a sheath they hadn’t noticed, and drop kicked them both to the floor. They groaned, the sudden motion causing their heads to slam uncomfortably onto the floor. The stranger stood over them, and they could tell he was smirking under the mask. 

Then they scrambled out of the way, as his body swayed forward suddenly. His head lulled, and he collapsed in a heap on the floor. Rapunzel stood behind him, having woken up during the fight, with her frying pan raised in defense. She looked rather proud of herself, all things considered. 

“They’ll think twice next time before messing with us, right girls?” They smiled up at her as she helped them both to their feet. Catalina kicked the man in the rib, grinning with satisfaction when he made a pained whining noise. 

“What do we do with him?” She asked bluntly. Rapunzel frowned. She handed Angry her frying pan, then tucked her arms under the man’s armpits. He was surprisingly light and thin for his height. She flopped him down onto the bed, then stepped back and scratched her chin. 

“You’re sure he was alone?” Catalina nodded. Rapunzel accepted the frying pan back from Angry, then nudged his face with it. It fell limply to the side. He was definitely out. 

“He doesn’t look like a soldier,” Angry observed. She was right. He was dressed in a simple shirt and trousers, with a vest and the handkerchief around his mouth. His black hair was long enough that it was pulled into a ponytail, but only in the back. His bangs and sideburns hung freely over his obscured face. Rapunzel cast one more look back at the girls, then pulled the mask down. What she was met with was a pale face, with chapped lips and a mess of freckles and thin scars smattered across his cheeks. His mouth was opened slightly, taking in slow, shallow breaths, and she could see two bucked front teeth sticking out. 

“He doesn’t even look like an assassin,” Catalina added, snorting. But Rapunzel wasn’t listening anymore. Something about the stranger struck her as far too familiar. With a tug, she pulled the (also familiar, if not a bit older and more scratched up) goggles off his eyes, pushing them back to the top of his head. His eyes were closed, but the familiarity only grew. With a growing sense of dread, the queen’s hand came up to the top of his head, mussing through his hair. The girls watched on in confusion as she searched his messy hair, for what they had no idea. When she found it, her hand retracted as though burned. There was a streak of blue in his hair.  _ There was a streak of blue in his hair.  _

“Oh my god.” Angry’s voice was muffled in her ears, as the girls figured it out for themselves. But Rapunzel couldn’t form a coherent thought. This wasn’t- this wasn’t possible. He was- they were-

“Varian?” Catalina asked softly, shocked. She pushed past Rapunzel as gently as possible, prying one of his eyes open. A familiar blue stared unconsciously past them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t going to update this so quickly but then there was more interest in it than I expected so I decided to share this next chapter. I’m actually really proud of this one, so I really hope y’all like it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel tries to make sense of recent revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still haven’t finished the chapter after this but I figured ah what the heck. I hope you like this, as it has quite a bit of information in it regarding the Varian situation.

* * *

  
  
Rapunzel, Catalina, and Angry sat stoic on one of the free beds of the infirmary, lost in thought. They’d brought Varian down shortly after they’d figured out who he was. They figured that, no matter what, he would wake up with quite the headache, and the beds here were more comfortable than most. 

Rapunzel made a point of not looking at Hector, who was still asleep on the other side of the room. She had enough horrible thoughts swirling through her head, and didn’t want to contemplate the man’s mortality for the millionth time today. Varian. Varian was _home._ But not at all how she’d imagined. She’d always just seen it like her own return, where he’d just show up one day, smiling brightly and pulling her into a hug. Every time, she’d imagined him as _him_ , 16 year old him. Of course he’d grown up. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe he would have remained untouched by time in the 4 years he’d been gone. But this? He was at least Eugene’s height, and his hair had grown out to a length that made him look like a wild man. Not to mention the small scars on his face. Some of the freckles she’d memorized all that time ago were now scratched out of existence forever. He looked like he’d been through hell. 

Then there were the circumstances of his return, and by the sun she did _not_ want to think about it. She didn’t want to think about how she’d woken to him with a sword in his hands, attacking the girls. How he’d been there to _kill her._ There had to be an explanation. Varian had overcome his darkness years ago. And even then, he would never have- would he? All things aside, it would make no sense! Just out of the blue, after so long being gone, only showing up to kill her. There was no logic behind it! And she knew Varian was a boy- man? Of logic. 

She felt like she might be sick. Actually, scratch that. She was definitely going to be sick. The girls stayed respectfully silent as she grabbed the nearest chamber pot and wretched, nerves finally getting the best of her. She was probably shaking. None of this was right. The kingdom, Varian. Everything was going wrong. Why in the world had her parents thought she could do this? She couldn’t be queen. She couldn’t even be a good friend, apparently. Varian, sweet and caring Varian. Look what she’d done to him! All because she couldn’t think to keep her friends properly defended. If she’d just stationed a few guards by his home, he never would have disappeared to begin with. If she’d searched harder, if she’d headed the search herself, they could have found him sooner. 

“Rapunzel?” She could hardly meet Catalina’s eyes. What if she lost her too? What if the girls were just as at risk, simply because they were associated with her? What if, next time she woke up, _they_ were the ones holding a knife to her throat? “Hey, listen. It’s okay.”

“Okay?” Her voice sounded hoarse. “No. Nothing about this is _okay._ I sent the man I love to his possible doom, the kingdom is under attack, and one of my best friends just tried to murder me. None of this is okay.” Catalina flinched. Horrified, Rapunzel tried to take it back. “I-I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have-“ Tears stung her eyes. She didn’t deserve it when the girl wrapped her arms around her in a gentle hug, nor did she deserve it when her sister joined in. Trails of salty wetness stained her cheeks as she sniffed and hiccuped, absolutely miserable. She couldn’t look Varian in the eyes ever again. Not after this. This was all her fault. 

A groan caused all three girls’ attention to zone in on a single source. Varian’s lean form shifted in the bed, eyelids fluttering. Another groan, and then his hand raised up to his eyes, shielding them from the soft light of the candles. His eyes opened slowly, and again the bright blue peered out, this time more alert. He seemed to regain his bearings remarkably fast, eyes opening to full functionality. They’d dulled, over time, and no longer held the inquisitive spark that used to be a constant presence. His hand moved around to the back of his head as he winced, rubbing the spot where he’d been bludgeoned with a frying pan. 

“Ah, what the hell?” He mumbled, stretching his neck from side to side. He scanned his surroundings, clearly not recognizing anything, then his gaze landed on them. His face traveled from surprise, to a glare, then settled on confusion. “Where is this? It doesn’t look like the dungeons.” Rapunzel flinched. 

“We- we’re not locking you in the dungeons, Varian,” she said, because that was the one thing she was confident about. She’d decided that the second everything had started to process. There was no way, not even if he actually succeeded in harming her, that she’d send him back to the dungeons. She would never make that mistake again. It had taken _ages_ for his bright, cheery personality to shine through after he’d gotten out. 

“Why not?” He asked, genuinely confused. He shifted forward, sitting up straighter. “I attacked you and your guards.” He motioned to the girls, who stiffened. Rapunzel herself felt a bit confused at that. 

“Because you don’t deserve to be locked up,” she asserted, trying to look strong. He saw right through her. 

“Rich, coming from the Queen of Corona.” He turned his attention to his gloved hands and picked at the fingertips. Rapunzel found herself at a loss for words. He hadn’t said that in a mocking tone. He’d stated it as a fact. That she was the queen, and that was all he saw her as. It wasn’t a jab at her title, as it had been back when he was in his dark place and had mockingly called her princess. 

“How did you know that?” She’d only been queen for half a year. He’d been gone for 4. He raised an eyebrow. 

“Um, everybody knows that,” he said honestly, as though it was obvious. “That’s _why_ I was sent to kill you. Chop the head off the snake, you know?”

“How dare you?” Angry blurted, standing from the bed and drawing Varian’s attention. “She’s your friend first! What, did you accept some bounty? Agreed to trade her off for money?!” He stared at her, a glare working its way into his features. 

“Listen kid,” he spat. “I don’t know who you are, and I certainly don’t know what the hell you're talking about. She-“ He jabbed a finger in Rapunzel’s direction. “Is not my friend. We’ve never even met personally. And there’s no _bounty._ I’m here for the glory of my people. With her gone, nothing can stop Equis from overthrowing Corona and the Saporians from reestablishing our country.” 

In a single statement, the entire room had been cast into a horrified silence. Varian… didn’t look like he was lying. There was genuinely no recognition in his eyes when he looked at either of the girls, and the only recognition he seemed to have for her was of her status. Heck, if she wasn’t wearing her crown, he probably wouldn’t have even recognized _her._

“You don’t remember us?” Something flashed in his eyes- _anger_ \- and then he rolled his eyes. Rapunzel didn’t miss the way his body contracted the slightest bit, or how his arms curled instinctively around him. 

“Why should I?” He snapped. “I’ve never seen any of you in my life.” He was hiding something. She knew it. Even if he didn’t seem anything like her Varian, his body language was the same. Whatever it was he was hiding, it was something that brought him great pain. 

Rapunzel had two options. She could either burst into tears at the news that the boy she considered a brother had absolutely no memory of her, or she could be productive. So she stood, and made her way over to him, ignoring the surprised gasps of the girls. Even Varian stared at her with mild surprise. She held a hand to the back of his head, frowning. 

“How’s your head?”

“Fine.” He pushed her hand away. “No thanks to- whatever you hit me with.” He noticed the weapon tied to her hip, and he did a double take. “A _frying pan?”_

“Pretty effective, in a pinch.” She held it out, showing off the painted sun on the side. “A good solution for neutralizing people without killing them.” Varian rubbed the back of his head, eyeing it with a disgruntled squint. 

“I suppose,” he admitted. The mention of her weapon had him patting down his sides. The sword was gone, obviously, and so was the dagger. And the _other_ daggers. He fixed her with an unimpressed glare. “Did you seriously go through all of my stuff?”

“That was Angry,” she said, nudging her head in the girl’s direction. “Is it uncomfortable having knives in your boots?”

“Not once you get used to them,” he grumbled. He was defenseless in the hands of the enemy. Gosh, if Andrew was here…

“Well, seeing as you’re feeling fine, there’s no need to keep you here.” She walked over to the doors and pushed them open, then motioned for all of them to follow. Angry and Catalina went first, the former living up to her nickname as she sent untrusting glares in Varian’s direction, while the latter just frowned at her old friend. Varian followed out quickly, and was surprised by how bright it was. His eyes flicked to the window. He could easily slip out and make a break for it. The queen hadn’t even thought to cuff him. He was more than capable of escaping, and she would be powerless to stop him. But something about her made him curious. Why was she being so friendly to the man who’d tried to murder her? As much as it was probably to his detriment, Varian wanted to see how this played out. So he followed them. 

The hallways were bright and colorful, unlike those of the castle in Equis, and part of him was impressed. They were certainly grander, and the walls were adorned with painting after painting. Many of them seemed to be painted by the same artist. There didn’t seem to be many servants in this part of the castle at the moment, but those who did happen to pass gave him the strangest looks. He ignored them, for the most part. 

Even the sky was brighter here. Corona was, famously, the kingdom of the sun, but _holy shit._ He was nearly blinded every time his eyes strayed too far up into the sky. The queen and her young guards didn’t seem bothered by it, however, so he supposed those who lived here were immune. Figured. 

“Varian.” The queen’s voice brought his attention to where she was standing beside a door. The girls were dutifully at her side, but neither looked overly comfortable. They were avoiding his eyes. 

“How do you know my name?” He asked, the question finally nagging him enough for him to voice it. He didn’t budge from his spot, nor did he react when she flinched. It was _weird._ The Queen of Corona knew his name, as did her oddly young personal guards, and they wouldn’t stop reminding him of it. Had he-? He stopped the thought before it could start. 

“You- we used to know you,” Catalina explained, finding her voice. His cold blue eyes locked with her green. “Back before you vanished.” She looked sad, and if the others’ reactions were any indication, uncharacteristically open. “Where did you go?” Varian didn’t allow himself to step back, nor did he allow his arms to wrap around himself again. He’d seen the queen’s reaction when he’d done it before. 

“I didn’t go anywhere,” he argued. “I’ve never been here before.” They had a silent stare off, before her gaze found the floor. Rapunzel picked up the pieces. 

“You can stay in here,” she offered. She pushed the door open. Inside was a room that had clearly had a former occupant. There were papers scattered across the desk in the corner, and drawings and scribbles pinned up along the walls. His gaze fell on a painting that sat on the bedside table. It was of a girl with long blonde hair, and a boy who was a few inches shorter than her. He frowned at the queen . 

“You sure whoever left all this stuff here won’t need it?” His question caused her face to fall, but she didn’t say so. 

“They haven’t been here in a long time,” she answered truthfully. He pondered this for a moment. 

“Y’know, Your Majesty,” he mused, and this time, Rapunzel picked up on the mocking tone. “You’re not very smart. Not locking up, or at the very least handcuffing, the man who tried to kill you.” He couldn’t decipher what emotion played out on her face, but she simply shrugged, hands clasped together. 

“Maybe that’s because I trust you.”

“A horrible decision, really.” That made her _laugh,_ of all things, and he felt horribly uncomfortable. She was treating him as though he was not in the slightest bit threatening. 

“I’ll send someone when dinner’s ready.” With that, she started walking away. Catalina followed fast on her heels, not wanting to look at him again, but Angry remained. This girl also looked upset, but she channeled it more through, _surprise_ , anger. She gave him a glare and watched him enter the bedroom, then shut the door for him. He heard her footsteps trail away moments later. 

“Corona is weird,” he mumbled to himself, turning to face the room again. Dust was collecting over the papers, he realized, so he supposed she was right. The room’s occupant was long gone. Didn’t make sense why they hadn’t just cleaned it out. He flopped himself down on the bed, and dust puffed up in a cloud around him. He coughed, swearing and holding his hand over his mouth, before leaning back when the cloud dissipated. 

Now, to plan his escape. 

* * *

When the door creaked open in Rapunzel’s room, she turned around faster than ever before. She was on high alert after earlier, and her nerves were positively _frazzled._ But she didn’t expect who was standing there. 

“Hey Sunshine.” Eugene had his arms stretched out, fully prepared for when she jumped into his arms. What he wasn’t prepared for was when she burst into tears, sobbing into his chest. She was no longer wearing shoes, her tiara was discarded on the bedside table, and her hair was a frizzy mess. It looked like she’d been pulling at it. “Woah, hey, what happened?”

“What _didn’t_ happen?” She wailed. She leaned into him further, sobs wracking her body, and he squeezed her into a tight hug. She mumbled into his chest, and he picked up some of the words. 

“Hey, it’s okay. We’re safe, for now. Andrew and his men retreated.” He could feel some relief sag into her shoulders, but she didn’t stop crying. “Is that not what you’re worried about?”

“Yes? No?” She wiped her eyes with both arms, leaving them puffy and red. “He- he’s back.” She sniffed, looking her husband in the eyes. “Varian’s back.” To say that he was overjoyed was an understatement. 

“What?!” He grabbed her shoulders. “Honey, that’s fantastic! Where is he?” His smile fell the slightest bit when he realized Rapunzel wasn’t smiling with him. “Is he okay?”

“He-“

“Rapunzel!” Angry burst into the room, followed by a frantic Catalina. She didn’t wait for her sister before announcing loudly: “He’s gone! Varian’s gone!”

“What?!” This drew the queen away from her husband. “What do you mean?!”

“He’s escaped!” Catalina cried, looking terribly upset. “We went to check on him, and the room was empty!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When faced with failure, Varian likes to take out his frustration on others.

* * *

  
  
Varian wheezed as he ran through the trees. He knew he technically shouldn’t have been running, all things considered, but he didn’t want to risk one of the loons from the castle catching up to him. So he muscled through, trying to keep enough oxygen in his weak lungs that he could apply the tracking skills Andrew had taught him. He could see the footprints leading down the path, but he’d never been to Corona before, so he didn’t quite know the terrain. 

The sheer relief he felt when he found the camp was overwhelming. They’d set up in what seemed to be a town, with stone buildings and thatched houses. It wasn’t nearly as nice as the capital. Figured that the royals wanted the unsightly places as far away as possible. Soldiers were sitting inside houses, and villagers were trying to go about their days as normally as possible. These people gave him strange looks similar to the servants in the castle, but again he ignored them. He needed to find-

“Guys!” He waved both his arms as he slowed to a jog, approaching the other Saporians. They were all gathered around a table in the square, proudly asserting their authority in the situation by occasionally sending for a villager to fetch something. They looked up at his arrival, and Andrew stood, a wide grin on his face. 

“Varian!” He held his arms out as though for a hug, but Varian knew better than to initiate one. He stopped a few feet in front of him, leaning over his knees as he tried in vain to catch his breath. Andrew waited patiently, only shaking his head with a chuckle. “Really gotta work on that stamina, Buddy.” Varian wheezed out a weak laugh, standing straighter, only to hold his hand out as he took a few more gulps of air. 

“S-sorry,” he grunted. “Just, uh-“ He gestured to his chest, forcing a smile. He coughed, wiping at the sweat that had gathered on his brow, then came to sit at the table. Andrew stopped him with his outstretched hand. 

“So?” He prompted. “The queen?”

“Is she dead?” Clementine shouted bluntly, earning a laugh from everyone at the table. Varian laughed along, face not betraying how uncomfortable he was growing. 

“Well, I successfully infiltrated the castle,” he explained. “I got all the way to the queen’s room without being spotted. They _really_ need to work on their security…” He chuckled, looking down at his fidgeting thumbs. 

“Bud, you’re doing it again,” Andrew interrupted. Varian hummed, looking up. “The thing where you ramble when you're nervous?”

“Oh! Right! Sorry.” He broke his hands apart. “She wasn’t alone, like we’d expected. Although, her guards were fairly young, and there were only two of them, so I easily took them down. But it, uh, it seemed she’d woken up during the tussle, and she had this- this frying pan? Hurt like a bitch, lemme tell you.”

“Is she dead or not?” Juniper demanded, slamming her fist against the table. Varian jumped, before running a hand through his hair. 

“No,” he said finally. “But I was able to learn more about their strategies! She didn’t even lock me up after she stopped me. She- she gave me a _room_ to stay in, and was trying to act all nice. She’s naive, and _stupid._ Honestly, we hardly even need to kill her. We could probably just trick her into handing over the kingdom, with promise of a tea party or something-“

“Varian,” Andrew snapped, causing the young man to close his mouth so fast his teeth clacked together. “You have been training for this moment, for _years._ All those missions we took you on? Practice for this. You’ve never had an issue eliminating a target before.”

“I know, but-“

“This is where you shut up,” he growled. “The queen of Corona isn’t someone you wanna underestimate. She’s the one person that stands between us and the Saporia we’ve always longed for. And y’know what? You were the person who was going to take care of that. You were supposed to be the one who brought glory to our people. Who fixed _all_ of our problems.” He gritted his teeth, glaring at the man who was now shrinking into himself, eyes glued to the table. “And you _screwed it up._ ”

“We couldn’t have planned for _everything,”_ Varian protested, but he was cut off by a slap to the face. Andrew drew a steadying breath, ignoring the shocked look on the younger’s face. He shook his hand out, rolling his eyes. 

“You’re supposed to be smart,” he drawled. “This is your fault, and your fault alone.”

“I can try again,” Varian said quickly, forcing the stinging of his cheek out of his mind. “I know what to expect this time.”

“Nope. You lost your chance. They’ll be on high alert now.” Andrew took the seat beside Juniper, who was fuming. He just sighed. “I should have known better than to trust you with something so important.” Varian opened his mouth to argue, but the glares leveled in his direction made him reconsider. “Guess we’ll have to come up with a different plan.” He straightened, eager to hear what he could do to help, but Andrew held up his hand. “Not you. You really think I’d trust you so soon after such a huge mess-up? You’re benched, kid.” The protest of _‘I’m not a kid’_ died on his lips. 

“All of this, for nothing,” Juniper hissed in Andrew’s ear. “You should just-“

“Shush,” he dismissed. “We can fix this. We just need to go at it from another angle.” 

“I have to do _something_ ,” Varian insisted. “I can’t just sit around. This is a _war._ ”

“What have I said about shutting up when I tell you to shut up?” Andrew snapped. The younger flinched, eyes growing wide, and he groaned. “Prisoner watch duty. Take it or leave it.”

“Of course!” The man looked to his compatriots, and a smile graced his face. 

“Come on, buddy. I’ve got the perfect guy for you.”

* * *

The prisoners were held in what used to be the town holding cell, where they’d keep criminals until they could be transferred down to the capital. The only prisoners they had so far were the locals who had tried to stop their takeover, and hadn’t surrendered when they inevitably overpowered them. In the end, not many had been courageous (or stupid) enough to try. The old leader of the village had led a militia against them that first day, and those who had survived were locked up together. The leader himself was sickly, and thus had been kept in his own cell below ground. 

This was where Andrew led the would-be assassin, down the stairs into the musty cellar. There was very little light down here, and he could hear rats scurrying about. Andrew held the only light source, a torch, ahead of him as he navigated the stairs, careful not to dirty his boots. About halfway down, he passed the torch to Varian. 

“Now, this guy’s got some screw loose,” he explained casually, standing on the same step as the younger man. “Lost his kid years ago, went mad. He might be a bit delusional, but he used to be a knight, a good one, so make sure you’re on high alert.”

“Please,” Varian chuckled. “I can handle some washed up knight. Besides, he’s in there, and I’m out here. Doesn’t sound like he has the upper hand, now does it?” Andrew laughed, clapping him on the back. 

“Good to see you have your gusto back. Maybe after this is all over, you can prove you’ve still got what it takes.”

“Of course.” Andrew nodded once, then turned on his heels and walked back up the stairs, slamming the door behind him. Varian continued down the stairs carefully. 

After years of training in stealth and combat, his eyes were naturally much quicker to adjust to the dark than most people, so he saw the prisoner long before he could see him. The man was hunched over behind the bars, seeming almost asleep if it wasn’t for the way his body was tense with anticipation. He was impressively large, for someone in a podunk farming village, but he also somehow managed to look weakened. He was ill, Varian remembered. Probably not long for this world, with a cold locked down in this moldy cellar. 

As his foot hit the bottom step, the man flinched, and Varian remembered to tug his mask up. It was an intimidation tactic. Don’t let your opponent see your emotions. Remain a stoic threat, all movement and no reactions. He kept his goggles on the top of his head so he could still see in the dark, and made his way forward. There was a bench by the cell, where whoever was on duty sat. Usually, it was one of the lower guys, but Varian had been demoted, so he supposed that counted as him now. He took the seat and remained perfectly still, watching the man curiously. 

Up close, he could see dark brown hair peppered with gray, the gray far outweighing the brown. The man’s face was hidden the way he sat, staring at the wall across from him, but he could make out wrinkles. This was an older guy, a bit beyond middle age. Another weakness, tallied. He could go toe to toe with a sick past his prime knight in a heartbeat. 

He rapped his knuckles against the bars. 

“You up?” He snarled, lowering his voice ever so slightly for effect. The man didn’t dignify him with a response. He felt his blood boil at the sign of disrespect. He’d had enough of his superiors ignoring him today, he wasn’t going to let some _prisoner_ get away with it. “Hey! I’m talking to you!”

“I’m aware,” the man replied gruffly, not bothering to look at him. Varian sprang to his feet and reached through the bars, grabbing the old man by his (surprisingly soft) vest. He hoisted him face first to the bars, finally getting a good look at the stubborn lowlife. Dark brown eyes that drooped with exhaustion and sickness stared back at him. Wrinkles that signified years of furrowing that large, intimidating brow, and shadowed frown lines. This guy was _not_ a fun time. The only thing that indicated he wasn’t a complete bore were the fading crows feet at the sides of his eyes, showing that, at some point in his life, he’d had something to smile and laugh about. It was clear from the dead look in his eyes that he didn’t anymore. 

_Lost his kid years ago, went mad._

Yes, he could see how the man wasn’t entirely there. 

“If I talk to you, you respond,” Varian spat, baring his teeth despite knowing the mask covered it. Anger flashed over the man’s face briefly, then it was gone, replaced with that empty look again. 

“You’re all the same,” he sighed, as though disappointed to realize this. “Cocky, arrogant. You think this is an easy win.”

“Says the man behind bars,” Varian scoffed, releasing him and relishing in the _thud_ that followed. The man was too weak to even hold himself up. 

“I’m not Corona’s first line of defense, I’m just someone to slow you down.” The man peered up at him. “I had heard the Queen was meant to be assassinated. How did that go?” Varian growled, kicking the bars near the prisoner’s head. 

“For all you know, we could have already won,” he barked, pointing a finger at him. “You’ve been down here so long that your skin has forgotten the taste of the sun. You have no idea what’s happening up there.”

“If you’d won, I’d already be dead,” the man said simply. “The fact that you’re keeping me alive means you hope to use me as a bargaining chip.”

“There are plenty of others that would make a far better bargain,” Varian huffed, extracting his knife from his belt and examining it in the faint light. The man seemed nonplussed. 

“If you kill me, they’ll be upset with you.”

“They’re already upset with me. One snuffed life would hardly make a difference. In fact, they’d probably be thrilled they wouldn’t have to worry about you anymore.” The prisoner laughed dryly. 

“Go ahead. I have nothing I’m waiting for anymore.” Varian paused, examining the man out of the corner of his eye. He was hunched again, on his knees, accepting whatever fate awaited him. This was a man with nothing left to lose. He sat back down on the bench and returned the knife to its holster. 

“That takes the fun out of it,” he drawled, running his thumb over the edge of the bench. “You’ve become a boring old man. They told me you used to be a fearsome knight. What happened?”

“I found a different path.”

“Fatherhood?” The man flinched. “Right, yeah, they told me about that. Had a kid, lost it. Not very impressive, for a man who used to protect things for a living.”

“There was nothing I could do,” he said, but Varian could hear the despair in his voice. It was cruel, to play at this raw nerve. He could do with a bit of cruelty to lift his spirits. 

“Really? Is that what the kid would say?”

“You have no right-!” He’d managed to awaken the beast. The broken man threw himself at the bars, glaring at him with every ounce of anger in his large body. “My son- I would do _anything_ for my son! I have spent every day, every waking hour-!”

“Woah, hey Papa Bear,” Varian laughed, holding his hands up in a placating manner. “Cut the waterworks. It’s none of my business whether or not you’ve gone crazy trying to find some dead twerp.”

The man roared, anguished and infuriated, and Varian grinned like a Cheshire Cat. This guy was more fun than he expected.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am so sorry for the delay. This is exactly what I was worried about when I started. I hope this mess of a chapter makes up for the unexpected hiatus!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian gets the opportunity to make up for his mistakes. It takes an unexpected turn for the worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Other stuff is still on hiatus for now but I had this sitting in my files almost finished and I couldn’t help myself.

* * *

Varian was woken from his spot on the ground by a gentle shake. He groaned, rolling onto his back, and it took him a moment to remember where he was. He’d left the prisoner in the wee hours of the night, when the man had finally exhausted himself with his yelling. He hadn’t been allowed into the house with the others, so he’d taken his cloak, picked a soft spot of grass, and fallen asleep in the middle of the road. 

“What is it?” He asked blearily, propping himself up on his elbows. Andrew stood over him. He quickly snapped to attention, scrambling to his feet. “Sir?”

“You’ll be happy to hear, we’ve come up with a new plan,” the leader boasted, crossing his arms over his chest. “And you’re an integral part.”

“Thank you!” He gushed, gathering up his cloak and wrapping it around his shoulders. “You won’t regret it, I swear.”

“I know I won’t,” Andrew dismissed, waving a hand for him to follow. “This actually involves your little friend. The Queen and her husband, they seem to think they owe a debt to the man.”

“You’re going to use him as a bargain,” Varian realized, thinking back to his conversation the night before. 

“They either surrender, or we kill him,” Andrew explained lightly. “That’s where you come in, Buddy. You keep him still, and hold the knife to his neck. If they don’t comply-“ He snapped his fingers. “Easy enough?”

“Could do it with my eyes closed,” Varian gloated, smirking. _Finally,_ a chance to fix things. That was definitely something he’d noticed about the Queen. She was empathetic to a fault. 

“We’ve already sent word to the capital. We’re due to meet them within the hour. Could you go fetch the poor fool?”

“Sure.” Andrew patted him on the back. Varian felt a spring slip into his step as he left. They were practically handing this to him. There was no way they could lose. Either the Queen agreed and they took the kingdom, or she refused, he got to spill a bit of blood, and they’d go after her next. 

He tugged his mask over his face as he descended the stairs, torch held lazily ahead of him. The keys to the cell jingled at his side, syncing with his footsteps, and he approached the cell. The man was once again staring at the far wall, but he seemed far more reluctant to meet his eyes today. 

“Hey, pal,” Varian greeted, twirling the keys around his finger. “Turns out you were right. You’re a bargaining chip.” The man didn’t respond. This time, he let it fly. He hummed to himself as he unlocked the door, letting the bars swing out of the way and hit the wall with a loud _THWACK._ The prisoner didn't even react. He just hung his head. “If you could stand up, that’d be swell.” He complied. Varian only hesitated for a second, looking over the man’s hulking upright figure, before he took hold of his cuffs and led him back out and up the stairs. 

When they reached the top and promptly exited the building, the prisoner held back a moment, jostling his chains as he shielded his eyes. Varian grunted, tugging him forward, and he followed without complaint. As they paraded through town, they were met with looks of horror, and Varian relished in it. Here was their leader, their fearless protector, reduced to a weak old man in chains. Proof that the Saporians could vastly overpower even the best of them. What a fitting beginning to their new era.

Andrew met them near the edge of town, where the others were preparing for the meeting. He looked upon the pair with a look of pure glee, throwing out his hands with a wide grin on his face. He clapped Varian’s back when he approached, nearly knocking the young man over. 

“That’s what I like to see, buddy!” He commended, and Varian offered a small chuckle. “C’mon, we better head out, or we might not make it to the rendezvous point before the Queen starts to get the wrong idea.” 

“Right,” he agreed, pulling for the prisoner to move forward again, but he found that the man was rooted to the spot. When he turned, he caught a look of unadulterated hatred cross the old warrior’s face. Andrew’s grin just grew wider. 

“Nice to see you out and about, Quirin,” he said happily, giving the man a curt nod. The knight, Quirin, just continued to glare. 

“Queen Rapunzel will not hesitate to give you the punishment you deserve,” he spat, dark brown eyes burning into the man’s skull. Andrew laughed, turning on his heels with a shrug. 

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” he dismissed, waving a hand for them to follow. Varian pulled again, harder this time, and the prisoner complied. If anything, he walked a bit faster. The sight of the Saporian leader seemed to have given him a bit of his energy back, even if it was fueled by anger. Varian could care less what their ‘complicated past’ might be. The man would most likely be dead within the hour. 

The soldiers present at the base all rose to follow, falling into line and leaving only a handful behind to guard the village- easily enough to stop any flimsy attempt at rebellion, especially with the people’s crushed spirits. Varian marched alongside his compatriots, silently thrilled at the change. He always hated it when they pushed him aside- a terribly frequent occurrence, especially in his younger days- and it usually took far longer for them to come around again. And after such a momentous failure? He was lucky he wasn’t hanging from the gallows, strung up as an example. 

The walk was reminiscent of his frantic run the day before, but this one was slow, confident. There was not an ounce of nerves between any of them, even the man who was marching toward his end. The old man (Quirin, his mind supplied, but he decided he didn’t quite care enough to remember) seemed almost eager to get there. This was the man who’d freely accepted his threats of death the night before. He had a feeling there wouldn’t be any fight when it came time for him to hold the man with a knife to his throat. If anything, the poor fool might lean into it. 

He could hear them before he could see him. He’d always been more alert than typical (Juniper had called it anxiety, once, in a jab), and his steps faltered when he caught onto the sounds of footsteps in the grass, hundreds of them. Of _course_ the Queen wouldn’t come on her own. Neither were they. This would be a full confrontation between both armies. A battle that would determine the war, most likely. He could feel the anticipation thrum in his veins, hands fidgeting as they always did when he got excited. Even years of training had never quite wiped away his little ticks and fidgets, so stubbornly persistent they might as well be intertwined with his DNA. 

Then she came into view. The Queen. Her brown hair was braided, reaching the middle of her back. She wasn’t wearing her crown, which he found a bit odd, but she wasn’t really like any queen he’d ever met anyways. At her side was a man dressed in the red and gold of a Captain. To her other side was the two girls from before, adorned in the glimmering armor of the Royal Guard. He scoffed. Bringing children into a battle? She must have been desperate. 

That infernal frying pan was tied to her hip, mocking him with an indent he knew was new. 

“Andrew,” she called, bringing the Saporian army to a halt. Her voice was cold, vastly different than the tone she’d used with him. She looked at Andrew with nothing but contempt. 

“Hello, Rapunzel,” the leader greeted casually, standing as though he had not a care in the world. “Glad you got my message.” His eyes flicked between her and the Captain, as though searching for someone. He hummed. “No Cassie, this time?” He tsked. “That’s a shame. I thought we might finally take you up on that double date.”

“You’re disgusting,” she snapped, holding her chin high. She hadn’t caught sight of Varian or his prisoner yet. “Threatening Quirin? Hasn’t he suffered _enough_ at your hands?” Andrew held his hands up in surrender, nodding. 

“And he won’t any longer,” he assured her. “Not at my hands.” He nudged his head, and Varian took that as his cue to move forward. The effect was instantaneous. The Queen recoiled as though she’d been slapped, and the Captain’s composure disappeared. Varian forced the man forward and let him fall to his knees, slipping his knife from its holster and pressing it to his neck with practiced ease. 

“You wouldn’t,” the Queen hissed, eyes locked on the pair. It looked like it was taking all her self-restraint not to run at them. “You wouldn’t!”

“Honey,” the Captain whispered, but even his eyes were wide with horror. The Queen was undeterred. 

“Andrew!” She shrieked, and Andrew just motioned with his hand. Varian’s blade pressed into Quirin’s tough skin, drawing a thin line of blood. 

“This doesn’t need to happen,” he explained, nodding again, and Varian’s knife retreated some. “All you have to do is surrender Corona, and turn yourself over, and he lives.” The Queen’s mouth pressed into a thin line. The Captain reached out to squeeze her shoulder, but she brushed him off, standing strong. 

“You’re a monster,” she spat. “You’re a sick man, and I will _never_ let my kingdom fall into your hands.” Andrew hummed in disapproval.

“That’s really too bad,” he sighed, looking over his shoulder at the prisoner and executioner. Varian straightened, blade at the ready. “Varian, go ahead.”

Several things happened at once. The Queen screamed, echoed by the girls at her side, and the Captain surged forward. Quirin went completely rigid, eyes wide and terribly confused, _hurt._ Varian’s hand tightened around the knife, and he positioned it right over the jugular, ready to make the slice. 

But his hand refused to move. Time slowed, as the opposing forces were stopped from moving, and all eyes were on him. His arm twitched, as he tried to force himself to move. It was just a slit throat. It was so _easy._ He’d never, _never_ had trouble before. But he couldn’t move. His hand was frozen, fingers brushing against the man’s pulse. Huge, deep brown eyes stared into his, and something that wasn’t there before flickered to life. _Recognition._

“Varian?” Quirin asked, hushed and horrified. Andrew called for them to get it over with, but it was lost in the ringing in his ears. 

Someone was screaming. 

It wasn’t the Queen. 

It wasn’t those two girls. 

It sounded close.

...it was _him_. 

Varian screamed, knife dropping forgotten to the ground as a fierce pain spread through his head like wildfire. He screamed and screamed, hands drawn to the sides of his head. His brain was melting- it was imploding and leaving him with nothing but static and raw _pain._ He could practically feel the brain matter seeping out of his ears, sloshing messily into the grass. His knees buckled and he fell, keeling over until his burning forehead pressed into the moist morning grass. His hands clamped over his ears, trying desperately to contain whatever was left of his mind, and he wailed like a dying man. 

He continued to scream, eyes blurry with tears, when someone hoisted him up, holding him close enough that spit sprayed over his nose. He didn’t stop, didn’t let up as they shook him, harder and harder, like a broken clock someone tried to smack until it worked again. There was a blow to his head, but it was _nothing,_ drowned out in the ocean of agony consuming his very soul. Eventually he must have been dropped, because footsteps thundered around him, making the ringing even _louder_ and the pain even _worse._ The raw aching of his throat was lost in his hoarse cries, tears streaming pathetically down his face and feeling like trails of blood dripping from burning eyes. 

The war raged on, both sides charging into battle, and the boy did nothing but scream.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, yay! Quirin knows!
> 
> That’s probably the only good thing that happened here, this chapter was a MESS. Not even a bad thing, just a lot of bad stuff happening. The boi is not okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Attempting to post a multi-chapter fic! I can’t guarantee a consistent update schedule but the next couple chapters are already done so we shall see


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